The present invention relates generally to optical logic processing, and more particularly to digital optical processing devices and computer architectures suitable for large scale parallel processing.
Bistable optical or opto-electronic logic devices have been developed which are capable of performing basic logic operations (e.g., AND, OR, NAND, NOR) and to perform various combinational logic. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,431,437 to Kosonocky; 4,128,300 to Stotts et al.; 4,262,992 to Berthold, III; and 4,382,660 to Pratt, Jr. et al. Fabry-Perot cavities responsive to collinear input signals have also been developed which exhibit high-speed switching and the ability to perform logic operations. See "The Optical Computer," E. Abraham, C. T. Seaton S. D. Smith, Sci. Amer. Feb., 1983, pp. 85 et seq.; "Selected Papers on Optical Computing," H. J. Caulfield, G. Gheen (eds.), SPIE 1142, pp. 79 et seq.; "Optical Bistability: Controlling Light With Light," H. M. Gibbs, Academic Press, 1985; "From Optical Bistability Towards Optical Computing, The EJOBP," P. Mandel, S. D. Smith, B. S. Wherrett (eds.), North Holland, Elsevier Science Publishers, 1987; "Optical Computing, A Survey for Computer Scientists," D. G. Feitelson, MIT Press, 1988, pp. 147 et seq.; "Optical Computing 88," J. W. Goodman, P. Chavel, G. Roblin (eds.), Proc. SPIE, 963 (1989), pp. 15 et seq., 138 et seq.
The development of a digital computer employing optical logic elements is desirable because optical switching and gate elements are capable of outperforming their electronic counterparts in particular areas which are essential in the development of improved computing devices. Specifically, optical switching and gate elements have the potential to provide, inter alia, high speed, large scale parallel processing capabilities.
However, the bistable optical logic elements and computer architectures using such elements which have heretofore been developed have not taken full advantage of the features of nonlinear material nor of the intrinsic parallel nature of optical signal processing.